Mosimane’s side Abha drop points as they continue their relegation battle
Pitso Mosimane’s side Abha Club dropped a massive three points on Saturday in the Saudi Pro League as they continue their relegation battle to survive the drop.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns coach’s side suffered a 3-0 defeat against Al-Ettifaq at Abdullah Al Dabil Stadium.
Abha’s last match’s hero Grzegorz Krychowiak had a match to forget as he scored an own goal in the 54th minute to hand the hosts a lead. Cameroon star Karl Toko Ekambi doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, then French footballer Moussa Dembélé made it 3-0 in the 89th minute.
Heading into the encounter, both teams were motivated as they were coming from victories in their last matches. Mosimane registered his first victory for the club as they edged Al-Tai 2-0 at home. On the other hand, Al-Ettifaq defeated 10-man Damac with the same scoreline; 2-0.
PITSO MOSIMANE’S ABHA CLUB DROP POINTS ON THE ROAD
As a result, Al-Ettifaq collected six points against Abha, completing a league double over them. In the first-round match that was played in September 2023, before the SA mentor took charge, Abha lost in a four-goal thriller as they suffered a 3-1 defeat.
The defeat saw Abha fail to register back-to-back victories since November 2023. Mosimane’s troops remain 17th on the log after amassing 18 points from 23 matches.
They are three points above Al-Hazem who are rooted to the bottom of the standings, three points shy from 16th-placed Al-Tai. Abha are five points away from the 16th position which is occupied by Al Riyadh.
Up next for Mosimane and Abha Club is a home encounter against Al-Wehda. The match will be played at Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz Stadium on Thursday, 14 March. Kickoff is set for 21H00.
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